Latest news / Newyddion diweddaraf

Rebecca Evans, Welsh Labour's Assembly candidate for Gower, has visited a multinational manufacturing company in Gorseinon.

The visit came following the announcement that Welsh Labour has pledged to create 100,000 high quality, all age apprenticeships if it wins the next election.Rebecca Evans said: "Over the last Assembly term the Welsh Labour Government has established a strong record of creating good quality apprenticeships, supporting our economy to expand and grow. Success rates have been consistently above 80%, considerably higher than the success rates in England.

"Through this pledge, we will ensure our economy continues to have access to the higher level skills it needs. It will help meet the specific needs of business, ensure we have a high skilled workforce in Wales, and help us remain internationally competitive throughout this decade and into the next."

The visit was facilitated by Unite the Union. Rebecca Evans toured the manufacturing plant and met management and the workforce.

Penclawdd Councillor, and Union rep Mark Thomas said: "Strong and productive working relationships between unions and companies are important for the workforce - for example, excellent health and safety standards in the workplace can be achieved by working together in partnership."

Andy Richards, Wales Secretary of Unite, said: "With the UK Government's ongoing attack on ordinary working people, it is as important as it has ever been to be a member of a union. We are dedicated to protecting workers rights and improving the quality of life of our members."

Tuesday 8th March is International Women’s Day, and Welsh Labour's Gower Assembly candidate, Rebecca Evans, is using the occasion to promote the tremendous achievements of women across Wales. But she also warns that while we have seen progress, many serious gaps and barriers to gender equality remain.

The theme of this years international Women’s day is "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. Women and Men across the world can pledge for parity promising to take action to help achieve gender parity more quickly.

The Welsh Labour Government is determined to use its powers and resources effectively to create a fair society free from discrimination and harassment. Welsh Labour Government budgets have expanded the provision of free childcare for Flying Start families, protected free school breakfast schemes, delivered infrastructure investment, and created 15,000 jobs for young people through Jobs Growth Wales. Wales was the first country in the UK to introduce legislation to tackle violence against women.

Rebecca Evans said: “I am delighted to support international Women’s Day again this year, and to make this pledge to achieve gender equality. This pledge is about recognising the limitless potential that women offer to the global economy, and the positive difference they can make at every level of politics and in every facet of society.

“I am proud of being part of a Welsh Labour Party that is striving to achieve gender parity, and that places equality at the heart of what it does."

Rebecca Evans, Welsh Labour's prospective Assembly candidate for Gower, has slammed the decision of the area's Conservative MP to vote for cuts to disabled people's benefits.

Byron Davies joined 308 Conservative colleagues in voting to cut the Employment Support Allowance paid to disabled people. Not a single MP from any other party voted for the cuts.

Rebecca Evans worked for a major disability charity before being elected as a regional AM, and has since Chaired the Assembly's Cross Party Group on Disability.

Rebecca Evans said: "Byron's claim to care about the needs of the people of Gower is simply not matched by his voting record in Westminster.

"The Tories' cuts are hitting the most vulnerable hardest. A third of disabled people already live in poverty, and this huge cut to disability benefits that he has supported will push still more into poverty. That is an absolute travesty.

"Under the Tories the UK has achieved the dubious accolade of becoming the first country ever to face a high-level inquiry by a United Nations Committee into charges of “grave or systemic violations” of disabled people’s rights. That is both shocking and shameful.

"Voting to cut disability benefits is vindictive and spiteful. It is also a false economy, as pushing people into poverty has high-cost implications for pressures on health and social care services. The Conservatives would be better off creating employment and training opportunities for disabled people."

The cut will mean that the support received by disabled people will be slashed from £103 to £73 per week.

We are proud of Welsh Labour’s record of delivery in Government despite huge cuts to the Wales budget by the Tories.

In 2011, we made a commitment to the people of Wales and Swansea and we have kept our promises.

We pledged to create a young people’s jobs and training fund and we have delivered 15,000 quality jobs through the Jobs Growth Wales programme; we pledged to improve access to GP surgeries and there are now 2,000 more GPs in our communities since 2004 and we are making record investment in the NHS; we pledged more frontline spending in schools and we have invested in our children’s education with millions being spent on making school buildings fit for the 21st Century. We are investing in flying start, and free breakfasts for primary school pupils.

We have protected EMA and shielded Welsh students from the £6000 a year tuition fee hike. And investing in our children is paying dividends in Swansea with GCSE results improving by 13.4% since 2008, while more than 80% of Swansea schools are now in the top category of schools.

We pledged to double the number of PCSOs in Wales and we have an extra 500 Community Support Officers on our streets; and we pledged to double the number of children benefitting from the Flying Start programme and we succeeded, seeing the number of children benefitting from the programme rise to 36,000 – nearly a quarter of all children aged 0-3.

We delivered on all of our pledges five years ago and did so while maintaining free prescriptions, free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people and their carers, free school breakfast for under 7s, and provided help for people made redundant by building on the ReAct programme.

We believe in creating a fairer, better Wales and despite the difficult economic climate, Welsh Labour continues to deliver for the people of Swansea and for all of Wales.

Signed by Julie James Swansea West AM, Mike Hedges Swansea East AM and Rebecca Evans AM, Labour Welsh Assembly candidate for Gower, Together for Swansea and Together for Wales.